Arizona Cardinals end of the year awards: Offensive player of the year

The reason we were not watching the Arizona Cardinals this past weekend is not complicated to figure out. The team simply could not move the ball down the field on offense, especially after starting quarterback Kevin Kolb went out for the season. The defense played well all year long, but Arizona could not score enough points.

So, as we begin our end of the year awards for the Cards here on ROTB, we start with the offense. Particularly, we will look at who the offensive MVP was. There wasn't much activity on that side of the ball, but there were a couple of players that stood out.

Kevin Kolb

I think this is a pretty straightforward option to choose. When Kolb was in as the team's quarterback, the Cardinals went 4-1 (4-2 if you count the Bills game that he exited). And he looked good during those games, as he was not just the product of what was a strong defense.

After Kolb went down, the team went down the drain. John Skelton and Ryan Lindley gave the position no signs of life and the Cardinals' record plummeted. With Kolb in, the season may have been a bit different, but it's hard to know.

Larry Fitzgerald

Fitz has definitely had better season than the one he did in 2012-13, but that is not his fault. The quarterback play really limits what your star wide receiver is able to do on the field. Despite who was throwing him the ball, Fitzgerald remained pretty productive with an 11.2 yard average per catch and 798 yards and 4 touchdowns on the year.

The biggest reason he deserves consideration for this award is because he put up with all of the struggles his unit had. That alone deserves some sort of medal or Nobel Peace Prize.

Bobby Massie

Yeah, we are digging for options here, folks. Massie had a rough rookie season as the team's starting right tackle to begin with, but really turned things around, especially after the bye week. In fact, he did not allow a single sack after week eight while allowing 13 before that point.

Massie got much better in run blocking as well, according to Pro Football Focus. He credited checking their website to his turnaround. If he can continue to play at the elite level he did down the stretch, he could be a stalwart on the right side of the line for years to come.

Rob Housler

Housler showed great improvements as a young tight end this season, which is likely why the team kept TE coach Freddie Kitchens around after firing the rest of the offensive staff. He only had 45 catches for 417 yards and didn't have a touchdown, but he was a guy that moved the chains for the Cards and provided a big, fast target for the QBs.

Also, how much of his (and everyone else's) problems can be attributed to the QB play? Yep, thought so.

So who gets your vote for offensive player of the year? I am personally leaning towards Kolb, but this could go any way you really want it to. Make sure to vote in the poll and leave your comments below.

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